Therapy & Counselling in Islington, London | City Road Therapy

CBT Therapy 
in Islington, London

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy — CBT — is one of the most extensively researched and widely used therapeutic approaches available. If you’ve been recommended CBT by your GP, researched it yourself, or simply want a structured, evidence-based approach to working through anxiety, depression, OCD, or another difficulty, you’ve come to the right place.

At City Road Therapy, our CBT therapists in Islington offer expert, compassionate cognitive behavioural therapy — in person at our Angel therapy rooms and via online therapy across London and the UK.

Book a free 15-minute consultation

You can either+choose the therapist yourself or you can let us help you find a good match.

Choose a therapist
Help me find a therapist
Calm therapy room at City Road Therapy, Islington, London

What is cognitive behavioural therapy?

CBT is a talking therapy that works with the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. The core idea is straightforward: the way we think about situations affects how we feel, and how we feel affects what we do. When those patterns become unhelpful — when thoughts spiral, when avoidance takes hold, when behaviour reinforces distress — CBT helps you identify them, understand them, and change them.

Unlike some other therapeutic approaches, CBT focuses primarily on the present rather than the past. It is structured, goal-oriented, and relatively short-term. Sessions typically involve discussion, practical exercises, and agreed tasks to try between appointments — giving you skills and tools you can continue to use long after therapy has ended.

CBT was developed in the 1960s by psychiatrist Aaron Beck and has since become one of the most researched psychological treatments in the world. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a first-line treatment for a wide range of conditions including anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and panic disorder.

What CBT can help with

CBT is one of the most versatile therapeutic approaches available. At City Road Therapy, our CBT therapists work with:

Anxiety and panic

CBT is highly effective for generalised anxiety disorder, panic attacks, social anxiety, health anxiety, and phobias. It helps you identify the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain anxiety, and gradually build a different response. → Anxiety Therapy in Islington

OCD

CBT — specifically a form called ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) — is the gold-standard, NICE-recommended treatment for OCD. It addresses the cycle of obsession, anxiety, and compulsion that keeps OCD going, and is effective across all OCD presentations including Pure O and intrusive thought OCD. → OCD Therapy in Islington

Depression

CBT for depression works with the negative thinking patterns and withdrawal behaviours that maintain low mood — helping you gradually shift both your thinking and your engagement with life. → Depression Therapy in Islington

Stress and burnout

CBT provides practical tools for managing overwhelming pressure — identifying unhelpful thinking patterns around performance and perfectionism, and rebuilding a more sustainable relationship with work and self. → Stress & Burnout Therapy in Islington

Trauma and PTSD

Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT) is a NICE-recommended treatment for PTSD, working systematically with the thoughts, avoidance behaviours, and beliefs that develop after traumatic experiences. → Trauma Therapy in Islington

Eating disorders

CBT-E (Enhanced CBT) is the most extensively researched psychological treatment for eating disorders including bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia. → Eating Disorders Therapy in Islington

CBT is also used effectively for insomnia, chronic pain, health anxiety, body dysmorphia, and a range of other presentations. If you’re not sure whether CBT is right for your specific situation, get in touch — we’re happy to advise.

Calm therapy room at City Road Therapy, 335 City Road, Islington, London
Book the consultation

What to expect from CBT — how it actually works

CBT is different from many other therapeutic approaches in that it has a clear structure. Here’s what that typically looks like at City Road Therapy:

Assessment and goal-setting

Your first session is a conversation about what’s brought you to therapy and what you’d like to achieve. Your therapist will want to understand your specific situation — the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours involved — and work with you to set clear, realistic goals for the therapy.

Weekly sessions

CBT sessions are typically 50 minutes, weekly. Each session builds on the last — reviewing what’s been tried between sessions, exploring what’s been noticed, and introducing new ideas or techniques as the work progresses.

Between-session work

CBT is distinctive in that it involves work between sessions — not homework in a pressured sense, but practical experiments and exercises that help you apply what you’re exploring in therapy to real life. This is often where the most meaningful change happens.

Monitoring progress

CBT is a goal-oriented approach, which means progress is monitored throughout. Your therapist will regularly review how things are going and adjust the approach if needed.

Typical duration

CBT is typically shorter-term than other therapeutic approaches. Most people working on anxiety or depression complete a course of 8–20 sessions. For more complex presentations — OCD, trauma, eating disorders — a longer course may be recommended. Your therapist will give you a realistic picture in the first session.

CBT versus other therapy approaches — which is right for you?

CBT is not the only approach, and it’s not right for everyone. Here’s an honest comparison to help you think about what might suit you best:

CBT works particularly well if:

  • You want a structured, practical approach with clear techniques and tools
  • You’re dealing with a specific, identifiable difficulty — anxiety, OCD, depression, a phobia
  • You prefer a relatively shorter-term commitment
  • You find it useful to have tasks and exercises between sessions
  • You want an approach backed by a large body of clinical research

A different approach may suit you better if:

  • You want to explore the deeper roots of your difficulties — where they came from, how they developed
  • You’re dealing with something more diffuse — a general sense of being lost, questions of identity, a long history of relational difficulty
  • You prefer a more open-ended, exploratory conversation without structured exercises
  • You’ve tried CBT before and found it didn’t get to the heart of what you needed

If you’re not sure, many of our therapists work integratively — drawing on CBT alongside other approaches. You don’t have to choose one approach and
stick to it rigidly.

→ Psychodynamic Therapy in Islington

→ Integrative Therapy in Islington

→ EMDR Therapy in Islington

Find out more about all the therapeutic approaches available at City Road Therapy on our services page.

Our CBT therapists in Islington

The following therapists at City Road Therapy are trained in cognitive behavioural therapy and available for CBT sessions in Islington and online:

→ Browse the full therapist directory

Not sure which therapist is right for you? Let us help you find the right match — we’ll consider your
specific needs, preferences, and availability.

CBT therapy in Islington — expert support at City Road Therapy

City Road Therapy is based at 335 City Road, Angel, Islington, London EC1V 1LJ — a short walk from Angel tube station (Northern line) and easily accessible from Old Street and Highbury & Islington. We serve clients from across North London and beyond — and offer online therapy via Zoom or Teams for clients across London and the UK.

All of our CBT therapists hold postgraduate training in cognitive behavioural therapy and are registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), HCPC, or other recognised professional bodies. We work in accordance with NICE guidelines for CBT across all presentations.

City Road Therapy has been based in Islington since 2011. We are one of the area’s most established therapy centres, with over 50 therapists working across a wide range of approaches and specialisms.

Find us

Common questions about CBT therapy in Islington

Is CBT available on the NHS in Islington?

Yes — Camden and Islington NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) offers free CBT for anxiety and depression. Waiting times are typically several weeks to a few months, and the number of sessions is usually limited. If you’d prefer not to wait, or need more sessions or a more specialist approach than the NHS can currently offer, private CBT at City Road Therapy is typically available within one to two weeks.

How is CBT different from counselling?

Counselling is typically more open-ended and exploratory — providing space to talk and be heard. CBT is more structured and technique-focused — it gives you specific tools for identifying and changing unhelpful patterns. Both have their place, and many therapists draw on elements of both. If you’re unsure which is right for you, your therapist can advise in your first session.

Do I have to do homework between sessions?

Between-session exercises are a core part of CBT — they’re what makes the approach so effective. That said, a good CBT therapist will never set tasks that feel overwhelming or punitive. The exercises are agreed collaboratively and are always practical and purposeful. If something isn’t working, you can discuss it with your therapist and adjust.

Can CBT be done online?

Yes — CBT works very well online. Research consistently shows that online CBT is as effective as in-person CBT for most presentations. All of our CBT therapists offer online sessions via Zoom or Teams.

How much does CBT therapy cost in Islington?

Session fees vary between therapists — you can find individual fees on therapist profile pages in our therapist directory. Some therapists offer lower-cost options for people on lower incomes — please ask when you get in touch. Several of our therapists also accept clients using private health insurance.

Ready to start CBT therapy in Islington?

Whether you’ve been recommended CBT by your GP, researched it yourself, or simply want to find out whether it might help — the first step is a conversation. Our free 15-minute consultation is a no-obligation chance to ask questions, share what’s going on, and find the right therapist for you.

📍 City Road Therapy, 335 City Road, Angel, Islington, London EC1V 1LJ

In-person CBT sessions in Islington. Online CBT available across London and the UK.

Please select preferred days to be seen:

Please select preferred times to be seen:

Please select preferred gender of therapist:

Please select preferred mode:

From us, would you prefer:

City Road Therapy is not a crisis service. If you need immediate support, please contact the Samaritans — free, 24 hours — on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. You can also contact us directly at consultations.cityroadtherapy@gmail.com.
Please note: Our building at 335 City Road is a period property and is not currently wheelchair accessible. Online therapy via Zoom or Teams is available to all clients and works just as well as in-person work for most presentations.